Cold therapy, such as ice bathing and cryogenic chamber therapy, is commonly used, especially in sports, wherein the cold therapy is a training regimen usually following a period of intense exercise. The cold therapy is claimed to prevent injuries and to help the body to recover faster from an intense period of activity. The cold therapy is known to influence blood vessels as tightening them and withdrawing blood to the body's core. After the cold therapy, the circulation of blood is suggested to be stimulated and oxygen and nutrient supply to e.g. inflamed and injured areas is claimed to be improved.
However, ice bathing and cryogenic chamber therapy has to be performed in closely monitored circumstances. Staying too long in an ice bath or in a cryogenic chamber may cause hypothermia or frostbites, or sudden exposure to extreme cold could harm patients with heart problems or asthma and, in a worst case, may even lead to sudden death. In addition, many people experience the ice bath as an unpleasant or even a painful event. By exposing the body to ice water can be an overwhelming accomplishment for some, even knowing the benefits of the treatment.
Moreover, even a small basin of ice bath is a heavy construction and needs a lot of water. Normally the volume of a basin is 200 L or more. If the ice bath is a permanent arrangement, the maintenance of the bath requires regular water changing and using of chemicals for keeping the water clean, which can be expensive and requires trained maintenance personnel. Used chemicals may also cause health or allergy problems or they can irritate bather's eyes and/or airways. In addition, the ice bath needs a cooling system to keep the required temperature, which consumes lot of energy and, thus, increases maintenance expenses.
Typically, the cold in a cryogenic chamber is produced with nitrogen in a form of vapor, which can be a more comfortable experience to a user than ice bathing. However, a cryogenic chamber needs a lot of room for the chamber itself and its equipment, as well as for the surveillance for users in the chamber. Like ice baths, using and maintaining the cryogenic equipment require training and personnel.